Saltdogs Power Past Goldeyes

Lincoln scored twice in the top of the first. With runners on first and second and two outs, Curt Smith hit a sharp groundball that resulted in an error at third base. Christian Ibarra scored on the play to give Lincoln a 1-0 lead. After Nathaniel Maggio walked, Brandon Jacobs reached on an infield single that brought home Angel Reyes.

The Goldeyes cut the Saltdogs’ lead in half in the bottom of the third. Andrew Sohn and Grant Heyman drew back-to-back, one-out walks. Two batters later, Reggie Abercrombie ripped a two-out, RBI single through the left side.

Lincoln extended the lead with three runs in the top of the fifth. With two outs and no one on base, Smith singled to right and scored from first when Maggio doubled into the left field corner. Lincoln then loaded the bases on a walk and a catcher’s interference call before Dashenko Ricardo singled home Maggio and Jacobs.

Switch-hitter Chase Simpson hit a solo home run from the right side of the plate in the sixth that made it 7-1 in favour of Lincoln.

The Saltdogs broke the game open with an eight-run top of the seventh. Maggio led off the inning with a solo home run to right. After Lincoln loaded the bases, Ibarra hit a grand slam to left. A walk to Ivan Marin and a double from Reyes put runners on second and third. Simpson homered again, this time batting left-handed, to stretch the lead to 14-1.

David Bergin drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh, while Jordan Ebert reached on an error by Simpson at second base. Two batters later, Sohn doubled to right-centre to drive in both runners.

Bergin doubled home Reynaldo Rodriguez with two outs in the eighth, cutting the deficit to 14-4.

Third baseman Josh Mazzola pitched a scoreless top of the ninth for Winnipeg, keeping his American Association consecutive games played streak alive at 331 games. Mazzola is now three games shy of John Allen’s record of 334 consecutive games played set from 2007-11.

The Goldeyes scored twice more in the bottom of the ninth on a Heyman RBI single and an Abercrombie infield single that resulted in a throwing error by Marin at shortstop. The Goldeyes forced Lincoln reliever JR Bunda to throw 30 pitches in the inning.

Alex Boshers started for the Goldeyes and took the loss, allowing five runs, two earned, on six hits over five innings. Boshers walked five and struck out three.

Derek Gordon (1-0) started and won for the Saltdogs, allowing one earned run on four hits over six innings. Gordon walked two and struck out six.

Jack Charleston pitched a scoreless inning of relief for Winnipeg.

Game two of the four-game series is Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. Charle Rosario (1-0, 1.39) takes the mound for Winnipeg. The Saltdogs have not yet announced their starting pitcher. Tickets for all Goldeyes’ home games are on sale now by calling 1-855-GOLDEYE, visiting www.ticketmaster.ca/Goldeyes, or visiting any Ticketmaster location, including the box office at Shaw Park.